The American Civil Liberties Union ranks Iowa as worst state in the nation in a new study.

"The numbers are very alarming. We are eight times more likely to arrest someone who is black for an offense," said Randall Wilson, legal director for ACLU of Iowa.

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According to an ACLU study, Iowa has the largest racial disparity for marijuana possession arrests in the country.

The study found a black person in Iowa is more than eight times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, even though marijuana use for both races is about the same rate.

According to the study, nationally, blacks are a little less than four times as likely to be arrested as whites for marijuana possession.

The report also breaks down racial disparity by counties. The five Iowa counties with the worst racial disparities in Iowa are Dubuque County, followed by Woodbury County, Johnson County, Linn County, and Clinton County.

In Polk County, blacks are about five times more likely than whites to be arrested for the crime.

This isn't the first time Iowa has ranked poorly in racial disparity studies. A 2007 study found Iowa ranked worst in the nation for black to white ratio in prison.

Marijuana arrests now account for half of all drugs arrests nationwide. The ACLU report recommends legalizing marijuana, saying that's the smartest and surest way to end racially biased enforcement of marijuana laws.

The ACLU has long sought to legalize marijuana.

Director of the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy, Steve Lukan, said it appears the nearly 200-page report may further that agenda.

Wilson said legalization makes sense, but stops short of connecting the report with the group's beliefs.

"I think there is good policy involved in legalizing marijuana," said Wilson.

State Representative and community activist Ako Abdul-Samad has read through the lengthy report. He said he is not surprised by the findings.

"The disparity has been there so to see a report now that actually legitimizes what we've been saying puts an onus on us as lawmakers to start making some changes," said Abdul-Samad.

He said he hopes this will start some real conversation instead of sticking our heads in the sand and ignore the problem.